Condition (Die Lage)

Directed by Thomas Heise

Condition (Die Lage) is a meticulous chronicle of preparations for a visit by Pope Benedict XVI to Thuringia, where a state of emergency was declared to guarantee a smooth procession. “All of this is captured in unbelievably gorgeous, extremely stylized black-and-white images that make Germany look like an alien planet whose people and customs eerily resemble our own” (Film Comment). 2011, video, 73 minutes.

The screening is introduced by director Thomas Heise and followed by a discussion with the filmmaker and Rembert Hueser, Associate Professor of German, Scandinavian & Dutch/Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature, University of Minnesota.

Screenings of Heise’s films Vaterland/Fatherland (2002) and Das Haus (1984) will take place on campus at the University of Minnesota. For more information, go to the U of M website.